Plate-operated punching mechanism



Nov. 14, 1961 K. M. PENNINGTON PLATE-OPERATED PUNCHING MECHANISM Filed Feb. 20, 1958 4. mum

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This invention relates to a low cost card-punching mechanism which can be employed by department stores, travel agencies, gasoline station attendants and other similar sales people to record charge sales. For purposes of illustration the invention will hereinafter be described in connection with its use by gasoline station attendants.

' Objects of the invention are to provide a card-punching mechanism of the above-mentioned type wherein:

(1) A customer identity key (carried by each customer and differently configured in accordance with the customers account number) can be inserted into the mechanism to enable the mechanism to automatically punch holes in the card at difierent positions in accordance with the configuration of the customer identity key, thereby eliminating any writing or printing on the part of the attendant, and enabling the card to be automatically processed in card-scanning equipment located in the billing department of the oil company home oflice,

(2) The mechanism incorporates a system of sale value identity arms which can be set to cause the card to be punched at selected points in accordance with the value of the customers purchase, thereby enabling the card to be subsequently processed in the home ofiice billing machines without requiring any manual transcribing of the dollar purchases,

(3) The mechanism is of such construction as to be quickly and easily operated by inexperienced personnel,

(4) The mechanism is of such design as to be usable with a wide range of customer identity key configurations, thereby enabling similarly designed machines to be used throughout all parts of the country with the assurance that any customer can be accommodated, even if he is travelling far from his home at the time of his purchase,

(5) The mechanism is of such design as to be manufacturable as a compact low cost item, thereby enabling it to be used in the smallest gas station where the volume of charge sales business may not support the use of expensive recording equipment,

(6) The mechanism incorporates distance-multiplying structure for causing the punch elements to be adjusted through comparatively great distances with a relatively small key-actuated movement, thereby enabling the customer key to be made in such small sizes as can be conviently carried in his pocket or on his key ring.

Other objects of this invention will appear in the following description and appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of one embodiment of the invention with some of the parts shown in section. FIG. 2 is a sectional view on line 2-2 in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a sectional view on line 33 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the FIG. 1 embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a key element employed in the FIG. 1 embodiment.

FIG. 6 is an elevational view of the FIG. 5 key.

Before explaining the present invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also,

tates Patent 0 it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

In the drawings there is shown a card punching mechanism 10 including a housing structure 12. Supported for limited vertical movement within structure 12 is a die plate 14 having two series of openings 16 and 18 arranged in parallel rows. Series 16 may be considered as customer identity openings, and series 18 may be considered as cost identity openings.

Series 16 comprises one hundred openings arranged in ten rows, ten openings per row. Positioned above each row of openings of the series 16 openings is a slide element 20 mounted for reciprocal rectilinear movement in the arrow 22 directions (FIG. 3). A single die element 23 is carried on the lower face of each slide element. Each of the ten slide elements is provided with rack teeth 24 which mesh with teeth 26 formed on the flared cam-shaped portion 27 of the lower end of a lever 28. Each of the ten levers 28 is independently mounted for pivotal movement on a shaft 29. A series of ten springs 30 is provided for urging each of the ten levers in a counterclockwise direction (as viewed in FIG. 3).

The upper ends of levers 28 are formed With teeth 32 carried by a flared cam-shaped portion 33 which mesh with the teeth 34 on rack-like slides 36. These slides are guided for reciprocal rectilinear movements in the arrow .22 directions. .In the illustrated embodiment the left end of each slide 36 projects the same distance above a key-seating ledge 38 ,when the levers are in the FIG. 3 positions. Preferably ledge 38 is provided with a series of ridges 40 which mate with suitable grooves 41 formed on one face of the customer identity key 42. The provision of ridges 40 prevents inadvertent honoring by one company of a key issued by another company (in the event that mechanisms 10 are utilized by different companies); thus each company will issue keys having different groove configurations.

When each of the ten levers 28 is in its initial or inoperative position its spring 30 will oscillate the lever 28 in the counter-clockwise direction about the shaft 29 to align its die element 23 in registry with an opening number zero in its respective row in series 16. As a result, when custom identity key 42 is inserted onto seat 38 by a manual movement in the arrow 46 direction the various slides 36 will be caused to move to the right different distances in accordance with the spacing of the various key edges 48 from an imaginary line 50 drawn across the key. This variable movement of slides 36 will be translated into a variable clockwise angular movement of levers 28 and lateral shifting of slide elements 20 toward the left as viewed in FIG. 3, with a resulting variation in the positions of the various cutting dies 23 to align with desired openings in the series 16 openings.

When the illustrated key 42 is employed three of the dies 23 will register with the number eight die plate openings, two will register with the number seven openings, one will register with its number six opening, one will register with its number five opening, one will register with its number three opening, and two will register with their number two openings. It will be understood that each customer will be issued a key having a different key configuration so as to obtain a different arrangement of the cutting dies 23 when the difierent keys are inserted onto seat 38. In this manner mechanism 10 can be utilized by companies having a large number of prospective customers.

The use of levers 28 (pivoted adjacent slides 36) causes slide elements 20 to have three times the travel of slides 36. As a result key 42 can be constructed to have its number zero edge 48 relatively close to its number nine edge 48. By such a construction the key can be made as a relatively small size item for easy carrying in the customers pocket or on his key chain.

In use of the apparatus an unperforated card 51 is inserted within the mechanism onto die plate 14 either before or after insertion of key 42. Thereafter U-shaped handle bar 52 is manually depressed to elevate the die plate and thereby cause elements 23 to punch holes in the card (at positions corresponding to the configuration of key 42.). Handle bar 52 includes two parallel arm portions 54 and 56 which extend into an elongated roller 58. As can be seen from FIG. 3 roller 58 is offcenterly mounted in housing structure 12 by means of pins 60. A similar roller 62 is off-centerly mounted by means of pins 64. Links 66 interconnect the two rollers. As a result, when bar 52 is manually depressed rollers 58 and 62 rotate in unison about the axes of pins 60 and 64 so as to earn the die plate 14 upwardly against the action of tension springs 68. When the manual pressure on bar 52 is released tension springs 68 are effective to move the die plate downward.

Referring now to the structure shown in FIG. 2, the series of cost identity openings 18 comprise fifty openings arranged in five rows, ten openings per row. The openings in each row are traversed by a slide element 70 mounted for rectilinear reciprocal movement in the arrow 72 directions. Each of the five slide elements 70 carries a single die element 73 on its lower face and a manual actuator arm 75 on its upper face. As can be seen from FIG. 1, the various different arms 75 diverge from one another as they extend toward elongated slots 77 in the housing structure. This divergence allows the exposed portions of the various arms to be spaced from one another for easy manual manipulation without interference from adjacent arms.

Each of the slots 77 is provided with ten notches 8i numbered consecutively from zero to nine in accordance with the locations of the corresponding subjacent die plate openings 18. Arms 75 are constructed to have a slight lateral springiness tending to urge the arms into the not hes. The notches function as low cost mechanisms for accurately locating the various die elements 73 in exact vertical registry with the desired one of openings 18; without notches 80 the user would not be ensured of having the various die elements 73 in exact registry with the subjacent die plate opening.

The rows of openings traversed by each slide elements 70 represent respectively cents, tens of cents, dollars, tens of dollars, and hundreds of dollars. It is thus possible to set the various slide elements 70 to represent any desired dollar purchase from one cent up to nine hundred ninety-nine dollars and ninety-nine cents. Additional rows of die plate openings and slide elements could be employed to extend the dollar range of the mechanism.

In use of the FIG. 2 mechanism the various slide elements 70 may be set to record a designated sale, either before or after card 51 is positioned on plate 14. When the slide elements are set and customer identity key 42 has been inserted into the mechanism handle bar 52 may be depressed to raise the die plate and thereby cause the die elements 73 and 23 to punch holes at predetermined points in card These holes represent the customers identity and the dollar amount of the customers purchase.

At periodic intervals the gasoline station operator forwards a batch of the perforated cards 50 to the home office for automatic production of the customers bills. In this connection, use of the illustrated mechanism by the gasoline station operator is particularly advantageous because of the elimination of multiple information transcribing operations usually employed in the home office.

I claim:

1. In a credit card processing device a die plate having a plurality of rows of spaced customer identifying openings and a plurality of rows of spaced cost indicating openings, a slide lement selectively movable relative to each of the rows of spaced customer identifying openings, a die element carried by each slide element and adapted to selectively align with the spaced openings in its associated row, a lever pivoted transversely relative to each of the slide elements and having a flared cam-shaped portion, gear means between the flared camshaped portion of the lever and its associated slide element, the opposite end of each of the levers having a flared end portion, a rack slide associated with each of the levers, gear means between the last named flared end portion of each of the levers and its associated rack slide, a customer identity member having abutment portions spaced longitudinally from an imaginary transverse line to engage a plurality of said rack slides, yielding means urging the levers to a predetermined angular position, a slide element selectively movable relative to each of the rows of spaced cost indicating openings, a die element carried by each of said slide elements and adapted to selectively align with the spaced openings in its associated row, motion transmitting means to shift each of the slide elements to selectively align its die element with selected openings in its row of openings, and motion transmitting means to move the die plate relative to the adjustably positioned die elements carried by the slide elements to perforate a credit card positioned in processing relation with respect to the die plate and the slide elements to identify the customer and to provide cost indications of a transaction.

2. A credit card processing device comprising a die plate having a plurality of rows of spaced customer identifying openings and a plurality of rows of spaced cost indicating openings, first slide elements'selectively movable relative to each of the rows of spaced customer identifying openings, a die element carried by each of said first slide elements and adapted to selectively align with the spaced openings in its associated row of openings, a rack slide spaced from and extending parallel with each slide element, motion transmitting means between each rack slide and its associated slide element, a customer identity member having a plurality of transversely positioned longitudinally spaced abutment portions to engage and move a plurality of said rack slides, yielding means urging the slide elements toward a predetermined angular position, second slide elements selectively movable relative to each of the rows of spaced cost indicating openings, a die element carried by each of said second slide elements and adapted to selectively align the spaced openings in its associated row, separately operable motion transmitting means to shift each of said second slide elements to selectively align-its die element with selected openings in its associated row of openings, manually operable means to selectively actuate each of said motion transmitting means, and motion transmitting means to move the slide elements and die plate relative to each other to perforate a credit card positioned in processing relation with the slide elements and die plates.

3. The invention defined in claim 2 wherein the motion transmitting means between the customer identity rack slides and their associated slide elements consist of levers.

4. The invention defined in claim 3 wherein the levers are pivoted closer to the rack slides than to the slide elements to induce the slide elements to move further than do the rack slides.

5. The invention defined in claim 4 wherein gear means are interposed between the slide elements and the levers and between the levers and the rack slides.

6. A credit card processing device comprising a die plate having a plurality of rows of spaced customer identifying openings, a slide element selectively movable relative to each of the rows of spaced customer identifying openings, a die element carried by each slide element and adapted to selectively align with the spaced openings in its associated row of openings, a rack slide spaced from and extending parallel with each slide element, motion transmitting means between each rack slide and its associated slide element, a customer identifying member having a plurality of transversely positioned longitudinally spaced abutment portions to engage and move a plurality of said rack slides, and yielding. means urging the slide elements toward a predetermined angular position.

7. The invention defined in claim 6 wherein the motion transmitting means between the customer identity rack slides and their associated slide elements consist of levers.

8. The invention defined in claim 7 wherein the levers are pivoted closer to the rack slides than to the slide elements to induce the slide elements to move further than do the rack slides.

9. The invention defined in claim 8 wherein gear means are interposed between the slide elements and the levers and between the levers and the rack slides.

10. A credit card and sales slip processing device comprising a plate having a plurality of rows of spaced customer identifying stations and a plurality of rows of spaced cost indicating stations, a slide element selectively movable relative to each of the rows of spaced customer identifying and cost indicating stations, a marking element carried by each slide element and adapted to align with selected stations in its associated row of stations, a rack slide associated with each of the customer identifying slide elements, motion transmitting. means between each rack slide and its associated slide element, a customer identifying member having abutment portions to engage and actuate said plurality of rack slides to move the slide elements proportionately to the configuration or the customer identity member, motion transmitting means to shift each of the cost indicating slide elements to selectively align its marking element with selected stations in its row of stations, motion transmitting means to move the slide elements and the plate relative to each other to impress a mark on a sales slip positioned in processing relation with the slide elements and marking plate.

11. Card punching mechanism comprising a housing structure, a card-supporting die plate within the housing structure having first and second sets of openings therethrough, a plurality of slide elements mounted for parallel rectilinear movements across the first set of openings, a plurality of manually-operated sale value slide elements mounted for parallel rectilinear movements across the second set of openings, a die element carried by each slide element for selective entry into those openings traversed by the respective slide element, a customer identity key having a series of abutment portions spaced varying distances from an imaginary straight line drawn across the key, a seat within the housing structure for receiving the key, a plurality of slides mounted within the housing structure for parallel movements adjacent the seat, lever means operatively interconnecting each slide with an individual one of the first mentioned slide elements, and means for bringing the die plate and die elements together.

12. A sales transaction recording mechanism comprising a housing, sales card supporting die plate positioned for movement within said housing, said die plate having a plurality of customer identity openings and a plurality of sales identity openings, a plurality of first identity elements mounted for movement adjacent the customer identity openings, each of said first identity elements having a die for selective entry into one of said die plate customer identity openings, a plurality of second identity elements mounted in said housing, means for moving said first identity elements in response to movements of said second elements, a customer identity key having spaced abutment portions insertable into the housing for individually moving the second identity elements to thereby move the first identity elements and carry the dies thereof into alignment with said die plate customer identity openings in accordance with the configurations of the customer identity key, a plurality of manually settable sales value elements mounted for movement across the sets of sales value openings, a die element carried by each sales value element for selective entry into one of the openings traversed by the respective sales value elements, and means for bringing the die plate and die elements together when the customer identity key is inserted and the manually operated sales value elements have been adjusted for punching custom-er identity and sales value indicating apertures in a card positioned in operative relation between said die elements and said die plate.

13. A sales transaction recording mechanism according to claim 12 wherein the die plate is elongated and has a plurality of customer identity openings in one end thereof and a plurality of sales identity openings in the other end thereof.

14. Card punching mechanism, comprising a housing, a card-supporting die plate within the housing and having first and second sets of openings therethrough, a plurality of customer identity slide-elements mounted for rectilinear movement across the first set of openings, a plurality of manually operated sales value slide elements mounted for rectilinear movements across the second set of openings, a die element carried by each slide element for selective entry into those openings traversed by the respective slide elements, a customer identity key having a series of abutment portion-s thereon, an opening within the housing for receiving the key, a plurality of slides mounted within the housing structure for contact with said key, motion transmitting means interconnecting each key slide with an individual one of said customer identity slide elements, and means for bringing the die plate and die elements together.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,253,417 Peirce Jan. 15, 1918 2,050,745 Woodruff et al. Aug. 11, 1936 2,110,854 Fuller et al. Mar. 15, 1938 2,206,116 Ohmer July 2, 1940 

